Damon's Ascension-Chapter 114: War In Xiangyang 15

The air in the study grew still as Damon’s words, which were calm and sharp, hung in the space like a Damascus sword, unblinking and patient. Xue Rou and Chen Yuan instinctively straightened at the sudden change, while Sun Liang stopped midway through a yawn and froze entirely.

The old man blinked once, then twice, and then grinned in that same foolish, gap-toothed way as before while scratching his ear.

"Oh come now, must everything have a motive? Can’t I simply be a wise old cultivator seeking a worthy heir? Passing the torch? Enlightenment? The warm embrace of legacy?"

Damon didn’t move, nor did he blink, but his eyes reflected the coldness of the moon.

"Last chance, Xu Baochun." Damon spoke softly, his words tinged with danger.

The name landed with weight since the false playfulness in the old man’s posture vanished, his smile fading slowly.

For a long moment, the fellow simply stared into Damon’s eyes.

Then slowly and somewhat achingly, the old man straightened his back, not just rising to his feet, but shedding something subtle in the process.

The hunched shoulders, the weak and aged breath, the playful shamelessness in his gaze...

All gone.

In their place was something else, something darker and older.

Xu Baochun, the so-called Ever Victorious Fighting Buddha, now stood tall and utterly still, his frail frame outlined by the faint candlelight like a stone idol long buried in rage.

"...So you noticed, huh? You’re sharper than most. Very well, but the act was... necessary." The fellow said in a low tone.

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes. "Necessary for what?"

Xu Baochun looked past him, gaze turning glacial. "To survive in this rotten and festering province. Xiangyang... this place devoured my brothers, tore my sect from its spine, and spat on our ashes."

His hands, once trembling with old age, were now steady as a rock.

He spoke with a distant gaze. "Thirty-two years ago, the Zen Sect was the spiritual backbone of Jing Province. We didn’t recruit thugs or nobles, but rather took orphans, the broken, the suicidal... and gave them meaning."

The fellow smiled, and not in a kind way. "And for that, the sects hated us while the noble families feared us. Do you know what they called us behind closed doors? ’The sect of nothingness.’ ’The empty ones.’ ’The soul thieves.’"

"They claimed we manipulated spirits, that our teachings dissolved filial loyalty, that our disciples couldn’t be bribed, couldn’t be bought... and they were right."

Xu Baochun’s expression twisted into one of hatred beyond madness.

"So they made us the enemy."

He took a step forward, voice rising with eerie clarity. "The Heaven Dew Sect accused us of corrupting their heirs with ’unlawful soul techniques.’ The Iron Banner claimed we were inciting insurrection by ’erasing fear of death.’ The Azure Sword Pavilion denounced our teachings as heresy. Even the Ghost Valley, a nest of cutthroats, joined in... because we interfered with one of their contracts."

He clenched his fists. "And then came the verdict. The Zen Sect was to be disbanded, its grounds seized, its teachings outlawed. As for us? We didn’t resist nor did we riot. We simply... knelt to avoid bloodshed on both sides, but when we knelt, they took our heads."

His voice dropped to a whisper. "They dragged our master’s body through the square with ropes while they sneered as the Sutras were burned. They buried monks alive in the lotus pond and joked about ’feeding the fish enlightenment.’ I was the only one who survived, not because I ran, but because they were worried about offending the Supreme Buddhist Sect in the Province capital."

He lifted his sleeve and revealed an old scar stretching from shoulder to elbow, which was quite brutal to look at.

"I was tied to a tree near the bodies of my students for two days. I watched the vultures feasting on their eyes and flesh while being unable to do anything. I could only chant the Empty Soul Palm mantra until I forgot my name."

He turned his gaze back to Damon, and for the first time, the smile returned... but it was different now.

"You ask what I want, young man? I want fire. I want chaos. I want every sect hall in this province to crumble beneath the weight of their arrogance. I want their heirs broken, their creeds dismantled, and their blood to nourish the soil of a new order."

He stepped closer, his ragged robes brushing the cracked stone.

"And you, Damon Arnan... you are just the weapon I have prayed for all these years."

Damon folded his arms, one brow arched, his expression unreadable. "So all that power you gave me... was just to forge a blade you could point?"

"Yes and no," Xu Baochun whispered. "I gave you power... because you were already becoming a sword. I merely sharpened the edge."

Sun Liang looked stunned. "You’re insane."

Xu Baochun chuckled. "Oh, absolutely. You think one remains sane when they see their fellow monks flayed alive with their own prayer beads?"

His laughter faded into a calm smile as he folded his arms behind his back. "But let me be clear, young man. I don’t want justice, nor do I want balance... I want ruin. The kind of ruin that makes history pause."

This did shake Damon a bit because he could feel the hatred. "You want to drown an entire province of people to cleanse a memory?"

"Naturally, and what better cleansing than fire?" Xu Baochun whispered, standing right before Damon.

There was a short spell of silence before Damon spoke with clear intent. "You’re not my master, no one in this universe is or ever will be."

Xu Baochun blinked in confusion. What did this have to do with the universe? What even is the universe?

"However, you are my teacher of sorts according to oriental culture since you showed me the path, but I have no intention of carrying out your hatred." Damon concluded as he stared Xu Baochun down.

The old man stared back and for a moment, it seemed he might lash out. But then... he smiled again, a true one this time which was somewhat crooked and very bitter.

"That’s the correct answer, don’t carry my madness, disciple. Carve your own." He muttered, voice hoarse.

And just like that, he sat back down and took another bite of the now cold rice. His expression returned to that playful facade, but it was hollow now since everyone had seen what lay beneath.

Damon turned to the others. "None of this leaves this room."

"Yes, sir," Xue Rou agreed quietly. Sun Liang was still pale while Chen Yuan simply nodded, his jaw tight.

Damon stepped back into the moonlight pouring through the window, his eyes narrowed in thought. Turn the entire county into a warzone to cause pain to the families? It was possible and would likely reward a nice bit of Worldly Essence, but it had to be planned in a way to maximize benefits for him.

The young man’s expression remained unreadable as he stared out through the moonlit courtyard, the flickering incense in the background painting shadows on the walls. Then, as if recalling a detail in his mind, he asked without turning around:

"What’s the date of the Jiangxia Spring Challenge Festival?"

The question came so suddenly that it took the others a second to respond.

Xue Rou was the first to answer, flipping through the folded records on her lap. "The festival is held annually on the first full moon after the Spring Equinox... this year, that is tomorrow."

Chen Yuan added. "It’s one of the biggest martial gatherings in the county, hosted by the Governor’s Office and co-sponsored by all five sects. Heaven Dew usually presides over the ceremony, but the Iron Banner Hall runs the arena logistics."

Sun Liang chimed in as he rubbed his temple, still trying to forget Xu Baochun’s confession. "And every noble family sends representatives. It’s a tradition that balances power, because the sects get to show off their elite juniors, while the noble houses flaunt their protégés. Everyone’s forced to smile politely... while stabbing each other in the heart with words."

"The location?" Damon asked.

Xue Rou flipped through the documents. "Jiangxia Martial Arena, south of the Governor’s Mansion. Four-tiered viewing platforms, multiple dueling rings. The whole thing runs for three days. First day for open challenges, second for sect duels, third for noble and commoner matches."

Chen Yuan added, "The final match is usually a spectacle between a nominated sect prodigy and a noble champion... with the winner earning a seat at the Prefecture Martial Summit later in the year."

Damon nodded slowly. "And the county’s current Martial Judge was meant to preside?"

"Yes, but with Qian Weimin missing, the Governor has yet to announce a replacement." Xue Rou’s eyes flickered.

Damon turned back to the group. "Then we’ll proceed by freeing the martial judge first in order to shake things up."

With that, he glanced at Xu Baochun. "You came at a good time, you get to watch as I overturn the Ghost Valley School."